<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>the road to hell by amuk</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26785450">the road to hell</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/amuk/pseuds/amuk'>amuk</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Blood and Injury, Dark, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Introspection, Missing Scene, Regret, War</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:41:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,597</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26785450</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/amuk/pseuds/amuk</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“I have to conquer Hoshido,” Corrin uttered softly, steeling herself. She wondered how many times a person could face heartbreak before they crumble, just how many pieces a heart could shatter into before it couldn't be put back together again. “Maybe I’m more like Garon than I thought, using and killing others to get what I want. A tyrant.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aqua | Azura &amp; My Unit | Kamui | Corrin, Camilla &amp; Elise &amp; Leon | Leo &amp; Marx | Xander, Camilla &amp; My Unit | Kamui | Corrin, Elise &amp; My Unit | Kamui | Corrin, Leon | Leo &amp; Marx | Xander, Leon | Leo &amp; My Unit | Kamui | Corrin, Marx | Xander &amp; My Unit | Kamui | Corrin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Calamity's Advent</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the road to hell</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For the Calamity’s Advent Zine! I’m not 100% happy about how this ended up. I always wanted to write a dark route, Corrin turns into a tyrant after a scene in the Conquest route and instead I wrote more of Corrin’s slowly collapsing state throughout the conquest route. XD Maybe I’ll revisit that idea in the future.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Corrin knew what it felt like for the world to turn upside down, to lose her footing and stumble when nothing was as it should be. From the moment she’d left the Northern Fortress, it was a feeling she’d felt constantly. After all, everything she’d known was a lie. Her family couldn’t be called <em>hers</em>, Nohr had never been her home, and even her body wasn’t entirely human.</p><p> </p><p>After all of that, she’d thought it was impossible to get surprised anymore. That there was nothing left that could shock her to her core. That wasn’t the case, sadly. Somewhere above her, the gods were laughing. Standing at the lake’s edge, she grabbed Azura’s shoulder for stability. “What?”</p><p> </p><p>“We have to kill Garon,” Azura repeated softly, her eyes downcast. In the moonlight, she looked ethereal, her gossamer dress silver. Nothing about her felt solid, neither her words nor her skin, and Corrin tightened her grip unconsciously. Maybe she could chalk this up as a dream.  “And the only way to prove his true identity—”</p><p> </p><p>“Is to put him on Hoshido’s throne,” Corrin finished hollowly, turning away to stare at the lake. A gentle fog covered most of the water, and the parts closest to her reflected the endless stars. In another time, she’d have stared at the night sky with her family, chatting happily. Now she was faced with the choice of tearing them apart. Taking a deep breath, she sat down on the dewy grass and tried to calm her racing heart. “He really is a demon?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes.” Azura gracefully knelt beside her, tucking her skirt under her knees as she sat on the damp ground.</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>It’ll stain</em>, Corrin thought idly. <em>Jacob will be furious. </em>Life used to be so simple in the Northern Fortress, when all she’d wanted was to prove she was good enough for Garon so she could finally join her siblings. When she’d only had one set of family, and not two. Xander had warned her once that she might not be ready for the outside world, that it was crueler than she could imagine locked away.</p><p> </p><p>He’d been right. She wasn’t ready. She never had been. Yet it was too late to go back. Curling her hands into the dirt, she quietly muttered, “You know, I should have known he wasn’t my father.”</p><p> </p><p>Azura rested her hand on top of hers, gently urging her to continue. “How could you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I mean…” Corrin cracked a lopsided smile, leaning back to stare at the moon. “What sort of father keeps their child locked away? And it couldn’t have been strength or age—Elise wasn’t trapped with me. But I wanted to believe.” Her voice cracked. “I wanted to belong.”</p><p> </p><p>Azura clasped her hands to her chest, looking down at the grass, at the moonlight glinting off the dewdrops. “It’s hard to belong. I don’t think I ever have.”</p><p> </p><p>From the moment they’d met, Corrin had known they were kindred spirits. She just hadn’t realized how much. Corrin held up a hand above her, studying it. “We don’t even look the same, but then again…no one really looks like Garon.”</p><p> </p><p>“He isn’t what he used to be,” Azura pointed out sadly. There was a trace of familiarity in her tone and Corrin wondered how deep it ran. “He’s…changed much.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s what Xander says too, but…” Corrin glanced at Azura. She was beautiful, bathed in the moonlight. It wasn’t just her—all of her siblings were. Camilla was gorgeous, Elise cute, Leo and Xander handsome in wildly different ways. No matter how much she looked at them, she couldn’t find Garon in them, couldn’t find his cruelty in their words or actions. The reverse also held true. She couldn’t find their kindness in Garon, couldn’t find their justice in his actions. “Do you take after your mother?”</p><p> </p><p>Azura’s eyes widen before a sad smile crosses her face. “I’ve been told we look alike. I can’t remember her well.”</p><p> </p><p>“Me neither.” Corrin chuckled mirthlessly, leaning forward to peer at her reflection in the glasslike water. There was nothing of Mikoto in her hair, her eyes, her frame. Maybe she took after her father, but she didn’t resemble her Hoshido siblings in the slightest. She remembered Mikoto’s arms around her, her last ragged whisper, and she bit back a sob. “And now I never will.”</p><p> </p><p>She felt untethered, disconnected from the world. Even for all her years caged, she’d never felt as lost as she did now.</p><p> </p><p> “You know, you’re lucky,” Azura murmured, squeezing Corrin’s hand. When she looked back in askance, Azura continued, “Camilla, Xander—your siblings, they truly care for you. Blood-related or not, they love you. And,” she paused, her eyes lowering. “Even in Hoshido, they miss you.”</p><p> </p><p>Corrin turned her hand, squeezing her back. “They miss you too.”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe, but not as much as they miss you. They’ve spent years waiting for you.” Azura shook her head. There was nothing self-deprecating about her tone, only honest truth, and that was what made it sting the most. That someone as amazing as Azura thought like that about herself. “Even now, it’s <em>you</em> they’re fighting for.”</p><p> </p><p>“They’re fighting for you too. After the war—” Corrin cut herself, realization sinking in. “The Hoshido throne. We have to conquer Hoshido.” She looked at Azura, pained. “We have to fight them.”</p><p> </p><p>Azura nodded, averting her eyes. She must have realized this before. “We have to <em>defeat</em> them.”</p><p> </p><p>Corrin gazed at the lake once more. Ryoma was proud, Takumi bitter, and Hinoka fearless. There was a chance she could convince Sakura to surrender, but the other three—they wouldn’t back down without a fight. Especially now that Corrin had slapped their hand away, had rejected their kindness and love for Nohr. “They might die.”</p><p> </p><p>Azura said nothing. Her nails dug into Corrin’s skin.</p><p> </p><p>“I…” Corrin’s heart was in her throat, her eyes already watery. Could she kill them? She had to, didn’t she? It was the only way she could get Garon on the throne, the only way she could kill him and bring peace. Her chest throbbed, her palms sweaty.</p><p> </p><p>Xander had warned her, so long ago, that she had to be tough to survive outside. She just hadn’t realized how tough.</p><p> </p><p>Corrin closed her eyes. Ryoma’s grip had been firm, but gentle. Hinoka had a playful, competitive streak. Takumi had been bitter, so terribly angry and bitter, but in time, in time he might have come to accept her. To love her. Just like Sakura, who despite her shyness, had made sure Corrin felt welcome.</p><p> </p><p>Mikoto’s body had rapidly cooled in her arms after the explosion, her words so kind and forgiving. Corrin would remember that sensation for the rest of her life. Now, she’d have to remember Ryoma, remember Hinoka and Takumi and every other Hoshidan she would have to kill in this war. This wasn’t like with Ice Tribe’s rebellion or Garon’s order to kill all dancers. All of Leo’s tricks couldn’t change the truth here: one way or another, people would die.</p><p> </p><p>“I have to conquer Hoshido,” she uttered softly, steeling herself. She wondered how many times a person could face heartbreak before they crumble, just how many pieces a heart could shatter into before it couldn't be put back together again. “Maybe I’m more like Garon than I thought, using and killing others to get what I want. A tyrant.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not,” Azura defended, shaking her head.</p><p> </p><p>“I might have to kill my siblings.” Corrin paused, before correcting, “<em>Your</em> siblings.”</p><p> </p><p>“They were never mine to begin with,” Azura replied sadly, her hand curling on her chest. “Besides…I was forced out of Hoshido, remember? I doubt they want me back.”</p><p> </p><p>Corrin frowned, not buying a word of it. If Azura could only realize how they had looked at her, the love that had shown in Ryoma’s, Hinoka’s, and Sakura’s eyes, she wouldn’t say such things. “Even then, you don’t want them to die, do you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Never,” Azura admitted reluctantly, closing her eyes. “Never.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then—”</p><p> </p><p>“But we have to stop Garon.” Azura opened her eyes and clenched her jaw, looking more determined than Corrin had ever seen her. “He’ll only bring ruin to everything he touches…it doesn’t matter what I want, this is more important than that.”</p><p> </p><p><em>Was it?</em> But Corrin couldn’t say the words. Deep in her heart, she knew it was true. For the sake of Nohr, for the sake of Hoshido, sacrifices had to be made. Her siblings had to be thrown on the altar to protect the country they loved. Curling her hand into a fist, Corrin quietly replied, “I’ll do it, so—”</p><p> </p><p>“Not alone.” Cutting her off, Azura squeezed Corrin’s hand one last time before standing up. “I will not let you walk this path by yourself. Not when I suggested it. The blood on your hands is on mine as well.”</p><p> </p><p>It shouldn’t have sounded as reassuring as it had. Corrin looked up at Azura, feeling like she was stepping on quicksand, and shiver ran up her spine at the path they were taking.</p><p> </p><p>-x-</p><p> </p><p>Corrin silently stared at the plain tent before her, its flap closed. Despite being the royal tactics chamber, it looked as simple as the other tents in the war camp. Unlike Hoshido and its golden tents, there weren’t the resources to make something similar in Nohr. It was hard enough funding the army without tossing in ornamental trinkets. Besides, even if there were, she wasn’t sure they would make it. Xander and Leo had always been of the practical sort. How the tent looked made no difference to what they did inside it.</p><p> </p><p>Elise, on the other hand, would have decorated it with flowers. A smile tugged on her face at the thought and Corrin relaxed slightly before ducking her head and entering. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the gloom, making out her two brothers standing around a large table. Spread across it was a familiar map, Nohr and Hoshido covered with small figurines indicating the allotment of troops.</p><p> </p><p>Noticing her, Xander turned and gave a solemn smile. As usual, his posture was a little stiff from years of being the crown prince. “You made it.”</p><p> </p><p>“I thought we had to send a search party,” Leo quipped with a teasing smile.</p><p> </p><p>“I wasn’t lost,” Corrin protested, her smile instantly turning into a frown. Her shoulders remained relaxed though; this was familiar, this was safe. This was her family, when all was said and done. As she approached them, she pointed at Leo’s collar. “And your collar is inside out.”</p><p> </p><p>“Seriously?” Leo swore softly under his breath as he tugged on his cape. He was lucky Camilla wasn’t around to hear that. “Every. Damn. Time.”</p><p> </p><p>Xander chuckled. It sounded rusty, like he was out of practice. “Leo, this happens far too often. Why do you even wear that?”</p><p> </p><p>When Leo merely glowered his reply, Corrin teasingly guessed, “Aesthetic?”</p><p> </p><p>“No.” Immediately, Leo snorted indignantly, and she had a feeling she’d guessed right. He scowled at her. “Nothing as frivolous as that. It is for decorum.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Decorum</em>, huh?” Corrin stretched out the word, a mocking grin on her face.</p><p> </p><p>“Have Niles assist you, at least,” Xander suggested, ending the discussion before it turned into an argument. He had always been diplomatic like that. “Or Odin, if he is capable.”</p><p> </p><p> “I feel like that’d make it worse,” she muttered under her breath. If there was something both sets of her siblings shared it common, it was picking really strange retainers. Hinoka’s were especially odd, but Leo’s weren’t far behind. Niles never ceased his dark humour and teasing, and Odin, well, he often felt out of touch with reality.</p><p>                                                                                                              </p><p>“Nonsense, I can manage something as simple as this myself,” Leo refuted, adjusting his cape, right-collar out now. His ears were red, a tell-tale sign of embarrassment he could never hide. Turning back to the table, he gestured at the pieces, “Anyways, we have more important matters to discuss.”</p><p> </p><p>Corrin snorted at the obvious topic change. Xander accepted it gracefully, as usual. Walking around the table, he leaned forward and studied the troops. “Our upcoming battle. They are all in their current locations?”</p><p> </p><p>“As of this morning’s update,” Leo confirmed, idly picking up a wooden knight. He rolled it on his hand. “For the most part, we are holding them in check. We need to add extra pressure to push them back.”</p><p> </p><p>The smile dropped from her face as Corrin glanced down at the table. The map was overrun with battalions. She swallowed, her heart beating in her ears. Each piece represented a hundred. Were there even that many people in Nohr? In Hoshido? A single move could alter the fate of thousands.</p><p> </p><p>“We seem to be evenly matched, which is better than I expected considering their upper hand in numbers, resources, and location.” Xander frowned, his brow knitting as he examined the battle lines.</p><p> </p><p>“But not in strength,” Leo added, smirking cockily.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t get too overconfident,” Xander warned, picking up a soldier that was taller than the others. “There are Hoshidans who can match us blow for blow; it will not be as simple as you think.”</p><p> </p><p>Corrin stared at the soldier, realization dawning. “Is that Ryoma?”</p><p> </p><p>“We needed a way to distinguish the Hoshido royal family.” Xander pointed at three points on the board where there was an archer, a Pegasus knight, and priestess, all of which were taller than the others of their class. It was her entire family in a wooden block set.</p><p> </p><p>Leo set down his soldier and picked up Takumi. He snorted inelegantly. “This one’s just an archer, I highly doubt he’s a threat.”</p><p> </p><p>“Leo.” Xander sighed, rubbing his forehead. “I’m just a swordsman. A weapon can be deadly in the right hands.”</p><p> </p><p>“There is nothing <em>just</em> about you,” Leo retorted, setting the piece down. “Though you might be right. We just don’t have enough information on them.”</p><p> </p><p>“Information…” Corrin repeated, picking up Sakura and rolling the piece in her hand. If they had enough information, could they clear the battle without killing? It was a possibility, however slim. Noticing the silence around her, she looked up and realized they were staring at her expectantly. Surprised, she stepped back. “Me?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, you were with them for a while,” Leo pointed out, rolling his eyes. “You know more than we do.”</p><p> </p><p>“The information would be very helpful, though I understand if it’s too hard for you right now,” Xander added supportively, walking around to squeeze her shoulder. It was rare for him to play brother and not crown prince.</p><p> </p><p>“Quit babying her.” Despite his harsh words, Leo didn’t push her. Instead, he glanced at the tent entrance. “Maybe Azura could help—”</p><p> </p><p>“I can do it,” Corrin blurted out immediately. Azura couldn’t be dragged into this any deeper than she already was. The betrayal would be less, coming from her lips rather than Azura’s. It would still be a betrayal, nonetheless. Her heart sank, remembering their kindness and how she was trampling on it now.</p><p> </p><p>Xander hummed approvingly. “Good.”</p><p> </p><p>-x-</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Corrin!” Hinoka gasped, the Yato buried hilt-deep into her chest. Blood dripped down her chest, splattering darkly against the earth. “Why?”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Corrin woke up, drenched in sweat. That was a dream. Only a dream. There was a sticky sensation on her hands, the false memory of Hinoka’s blood, and she wiped them off on her blanket. The feeling wouldn’t leave, even though it wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real. It had only been a dream.</p><p> </p><p>“Shit.” She covered her eyes with the back of her hand, breathing heavily as she tried to get her bearings. Every night, it was one sibling or the other. Her hands were stained red, her sword piercing their body, and a single accusatory <em>why</em> lingered in the air before she woke. A dream that felt all too real. She could only hope that she hadn’t gained foresight.</p><p> </p><p>There would be no sleeping further tonight. Her heart calmed and Corrin slipped out of her tent quietly. She didn’t want Jakob to notice her absence; only one of them had to lose their sleep. Around her was a tent city, small lanterns here and there giving her the vague shape of the army’s campground. It was a dark, moonless night. Everyone else was asleep, as they should be.</p><p> </p><p>Quietly, Corrin walked a familiar path through the tents, stopping in front of her friends’ and families’ tents. The layout was the same at every stop, Xander’s planning meticulous. First was Elise’s chambers, Elise silently polishing her armour as she kept watch. By now, Corrin was certain all of the retainers knew of her nightly check-ups. Niles stood guard at Leo’s tent, his lips tugging into a lazy smirk at the sight of her. Laslow was nodding off at Xander’s, no doubt covering for Peri’s shift as well.</p><p> </p><p>Her last stop was Camilla’s tent, with the steadfast Beruka watching from the shadows. Corrin sighed with relief. It had only been a dream, after all.</p><p> </p><p>-x-</p><p> </p><p>Corrin watched as Camilla tightened the straps of her saddle, her delicate arms far stronger than they appeared. Considering the hefty axe she preferred, they had to be. Far above them, Selena was already in the air with her dragon, circling around warily as she kept an eye out for any enemies. Beruka was impossible to spot. It felt like such an ordinary thing, as though her sister was leaving for another scouting mission, when it was anything but.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure about this?” Corrin asked softly.</p><p> </p><p>Camilla tightened her strap one last time before gently patting her wyvern’s tough hide. The sun had only set minutes ago and already almost all of its rays were gone, bathing them in darkness. Above them, the stars hadn’t appeared yet, this twilight hour one without any heavenly witnesses. Smiling, she turned to Corrin. “About what, sweetie?”</p><p> </p><p>“This, all of it.” Corrin rubbed her arm, her eyes flickering from Camilla to the ground. Shame crept into her voice. “You don’t have to do this, you know. Beruka can carry it out without you. I can send someone else.”</p><p> </p><p>“My Beruka is very good at assassinations and sneaking around,” Camilla concurred, hand on her hip as she stared up at the sky. There was a gentle smile on her face, as though she was talking about Elise sneaking treats and not her retainer’s capabilities in murder. “However, you gave me this task.” She turned around, stepping toward Corrin and reaching out. Her right-hand caressed Corrin’s cheek. Expression tender, she finished, “And I never turn down anything my darling family asks.”</p><p> </p><p>And that was the crux of it, that the one who’d decided Camilla should go on this assassination mission was Corrin. That the one who had looked at the map, at all the small soldiers, and discovered the quickest way forward was through subterfuge and sabotage was herself. It had been her decision, and yet the consequences wouldn’t occur by her own doing. She covered Camilla’s hand with her own, pained. “I’m sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s fine, this isn’t my first assassination.” Camilla chuckled. Her hair flowed in the wind, covering her face. Despite her square shoulders, she sounded tired. “And it won’t be my last. Some battles are better done quietly, when no one can witness them. I don’t mind, as long as I can protect all of you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Camilla…” Corrin hugged her sister and closed her eyes. There had been times, when she had been younger and Camilla had visited for longer than a day, that she’d spot a dragon leaving the castle in the middle of the night. Had it been her sister, even then? Or Jakob or someone else she knew and cared about, someone else whose job it was to clean up secretly. It wasn’t hard to imagine Camilla’s axe in the darkness, coated in thick red liquid. “I won’t—” <em>ask for any other missions</em>, Corrin almost added, cutting herself off before she could lie.</p><p> </p><p>Because there was no way that could be the truth. Not in a war like this. Not when she wanted to minimize casualties. If only she was stronger, better, smarter. If only she wasn’t so weak that she had to rely on her family like this.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t cry, sweetie.” Camilla pulled herself away, still wearing that gentle expression. It was a mirror image of Mikoto’s and maybe she’d been wrong, maybe Corrin had known what a mother was like all this time. “Just smile for me, that’s all I need.”</p><p> </p><p>Corrin steeled her heart, pushing away her regrets as she smiled. “Come back safely.”</p><p> </p><p>-x-</p><p> </p><p>Pulling a sword out of a body was hard. It took a certain amount of strength and finesse depending on where in the body she stabbed. It was easier in the arms and legs. A single strong yank was enough to free her weapon then. In the torso, however, it took a saw-like motion, it took grunting and sweating and listening to a person choke in their own blood, their hand limply reaching out to grab her.</p><p> </p><p>It was a sensation she wished she didn’t understand. It was a sensation she wished was imprinted in her skin and bones, engraved into her until she could never forget. Corrin knew how blood sprayed when she cut a body, where to strike to minimize the splatter. How it looked when she flicked it off her sword. How long it took a person to die, the wet sound as they tried to take a breath.</p><p> </p><p>It was terrifying, the facts she was learning about the human body.</p><p> </p><p>“Corrin?”</p><p> </p><p>Elise’s voice shook her out of her thoughts and Corrin scanned her surroundings. The battle might be over, but there could be Hoshidan stragglers lurking about, one careless mistake away from striking her down. Around her were damaged houses, windows broken and plumes of smoke escaping crumbling walls. Despite her orders to not endanger civilian life, she still found village after village like this and she could never tell if her soldiers were disobeying her or if Iago had overruled her orders. It didn’t matter. In the end, the result was the same: Hoshidans without a home. Children without parents. Dead bodies strewn across the street and not all of them were soldiers.</p><p> </p><p>Still keeping a tight grip on her sword, Corrin replied, “It’s safe, Elise.”</p><p> </p><p>Behind her, low-heeled shoes clacked against a cobbled road. Elise walked slowly, her staff clutched tightly as she nervously looked at each soldier. Her long, golden braids were speckled with blood, her usually immaculate dress dirty and crinkled. The healing stations must have overflowed today and Corrin felt a pang of sympathy.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay, they’re all dead,” Corrin reassured her, approaching to meet her halfway. “You’re safe.”</p><p> </p><p>Elise paled, her skin taking on a sickly shine. “They are?” She looked around her, her eyes sad. “All of them?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes.” Corrin bit her cheek. Whether it was Nohr or Hoshido, the soldiers were too proud, all too many of them preferring to die on their feet than to surrender and live. “What’re you doing here, Elise?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh.” Elise’s shoulders sank and she loosened her grip on her staff. “I…I thought I could save someone. Anyone, really.” She looked up at Corrin, giving a troubled smile. “Not just our soldiers.”</p><p> </p><p>Corrin’s eyes widened. “Really?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah.” Elise brightened slightly, remembering her past successes. “I actually saved a whole bunch of Hoshido soldiers!” She held out her hands, increasing the gap between them as though to indicate how many. “They might be prisoners, but they’re alive.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s great, Elise!” Corrin forced a smile as she wrapped her arms around her sister, hugging her tightly.</p><p> </p><p>It was good news. It was great news. And if her heart didn’t feel light at it, if she sensed something dark lurking in the edges of her sight, well, she’d just become more cynical these days.</p><p> </p><p>-x-</p><p> </p><p>Azura was drawn to water in a way she couldn’t entirely explain. It was more than just her connection to that other world or even to her late mother. Lakes were a safe spot, a place she could sit, think, and be a little less afraid. Whenever they camped by a lake, she would invariably end up in front of it, sinking her toes into the shallow banks as she calmed down.</p><p> </p><p>It seemed she wasn’t the only one drawn to it. Azura wasn’t entirely surprised when she spotted Corrin at the lake’s edge, hugging herself as she stared down at the waters. They’d been bumping into one another here more and more these days and Azura found she welcomed the company. There was something comforting about her friend.</p><p> </p><p>“Corrin,” she greeted, standing beside her. Their reflections rippled in the water.</p><p> </p><p>“Azura,” Corrin croaked, eyes red-rimmed.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s wrong?” Immediately, Azura touched Corrin’s arm. Her skin felt cold to the touch—just how long had she been here? And had she always been so pale, so gaunt?</p><p> </p><p>“I…” Corrin averted her gaze, her eyes firmly locked onto the water. She didn’t shy away from Azura’s touch at least. “Elise had been healing Hoshido soldiers lately.” She laughed wetly. “Prisoners of war, but alive.”</p><p> </p><p>Azura could already guess where this was headed. With Garon, it wasn’t hard to know just how he’d react to that news.</p><p> </p><p>“Garon doesn’t take prisoners. Iago had me carry out the execution.” Corrin’s voice grew fainter and fainter and had she always looked this small? “Though none of that surprised me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh Corrin.” Azura worried her lip, hesitating before gingerly wrapping an arm around Corrin. She had never been one for physical affection or even good at it, but Corrin had done so much for her and she had to help her friend now. “I’m sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>“The worst part was that it wasn’t as hard as I thought it’d be.” Corrin’s tired voice carried a trace of desperation and she hunched over slightly, curling into herself. “I used to vomit in the bushes and now I just…” She turned to Azura, scared. “Maybe I really am like Garon. A monster.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not,” Azura refuted automatically, wrapping both arms around Corrin now to draw her into a proper hug. “You’re not.”</p><p> </p><p>Corrin laughed weakly. “I’m fighting to save Hoshido and Nohr, but all I find are corpses. Just who am I saving?”</p><p> </p><p><em>You saved me</em>, Azura almost said, but what was one life in comparison to thousands? Whatever Hoshidans survived, they did so out of sight, away from their host army. Azura had always known that the path before them stood on the bodies of innocents, but it was one thing to know it, another to experience it. For all of Corrin’s strengths, it was something impossible to prepare for.</p><p> </p><p>And what lay ahead was even worse. Corrin shuddered in her arms, crying soundlessly. They were days away from the capital, from Takumi, Ryoma, Hinoka, and Sakura. If Corrin could break this deeply from strangers, she would be shattered by the time they reached the throne.</p><p> </p><p>Not for the first time, Azura wished she had some prowess in the battlefield. Her hands weren’t strong enough to take this duty out of Corrin’s. All she had was her voice, her song, and so she hummed softly into the night air, pushing a little power to calm Corrin.</p><p> </p><p>“It’ll be okay,” she sang, stroking Corrin’s back. “I’ll be with you.”</p><p> </p><p>At the very least, she could keep her promise. They were both bloodstained, and if this path led to hell, well, they’d go hand in hand.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>